Big Red’s DIC says this morning was only 21 degrees before sunrise. 🌡️I’d believe it, kind icy outside with all of the fog 🌫 and moisture from yesterday’s rain and sleet turning into ice on the trees. It’s pretty and the road is free of ice so no complaints. I did start the truck up briefly to top off the batteries 🔋 – mostly the starting battery because it is cold and the voltage was down a little bit because of that – and the solar panel isn’t going to produce much power covered with ice. ☀️

Ran out of propane this morning ♨ but fortunately not before I cooked breakfast and warmed myself by the heater. But it still left me with cold hands 👐🏻 when I took down camp and gave me an incentive to get moving sooner. 🌅 Sun didn’t get above the mountains until after 8 AM which is about the time the tank ran out. Totally my fault, it had been nine nights since I last filled the tank and in the winter I usually try to fill it every six nights camping so I don’t end up with a cold start to the morning. ☕ But regardless it was fine, I enjoyed my coffee and just got moving.

Hiked up to House Pond this morning after I took down camp. 🦆 Woodpeckers and a duck breaking through the ice and the occasional distant gun shot 🔫 but no deer 🦌 to be seen where I was. I am surprised 🤨 I thought more would be moving this morning. Once I get back to camp, I’m going to drive down to Fort Hunter and explore the Schoharie Crossing and the bike path 🚲 around Fort Hunter until around 3:30 and then head home before dark. That’s pretty early this time of year.

Good morning folks! 😊I hope your Saturday is going well and you are healthy. This morning started out with rain ☔ and now it’s been breaks of sunshine ☀ and blue skies but mostly pretty gray. ☁️ Definitely late November here in the woods although it’s pretty nice sitting down by the heater. A little bit of sunshine though could go a long ways. I heard later it was supposed to clear out.

I have to say it is kind of cold and damp morning ♨ and it would have been downright chilly if not for the Big Buddy Heater to warm myself. 🔥 I guess I could have started a fire to warm myself but fires are smoky and smelly compared to sitting by the heater which you just switch on.

Last night that lantern 🏮 was super bright 🔆 except at the lowest setting. I’m hoping with the propane filter on it the preformance will remain high and not super smokey or dim. I think it’s the plasticizers on the propane hose that clog things up. I am hoping between using the propane tree and the filter I will have years of bright light as neccesary here at camp.

I am thinking that it will clear out later in the day 🌤️and I’ll hike up to the Potholers. After looking at the forecast yesterday I don’t have any great expectations for today but it’s good to get away, if only because it means I’m fully off the internet for a few days.